Following a disappointing 2024-25 season, and with Mike Sullivan now serving as head coach, there is plenty of uncertainty surrounding the New York Rangers right now. One thing fans can usually count on, though, is seeing Vincent Trocheck on the ice night in, night out.
Well, as people should know by now, it is risky to make assumptions about the Blueshirts. Trocheck is considered week-to-week, per the New York Post's Mollie Walker, after the veteran forward suffered an upper-body injury in a 4-0 win against the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday night.
This news is as disappointing as it is surprising. Trocheck is the Rangers' iron man, having not missed a game since signing a seven-year, $39.38 million contract with the organization in 2022. He only missed one game in his final season with the Carolina Hurricanes, exemplifying tremendous durability after battling some injury issues with the Florida Panthers in the late 2010s. This latest setback is a blow to a team that wants to get off to a hot start with Sullivan at the helm.
Trocheck tallied an assist against the Sabres on Thursday night, helping the Rangers grab a road victory after they dropped their season opener to the Pittsburgh Penguins. He posted the fourth-most points on New York during the 2024-25 campaign (59), so the squad obviously depends on him to make things happen on offense.
The Sullivan era is enduring a decent amount of adversity almost immediately, as fans do their best to stay optimistic.
Trocheck will look to maintain his tenacity while he recovers, and find other ways to bring energy to New York. The Rangers will battle their head coach's former team once more, when they visit PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh on Saturday. The puck drops at approximately 7:00 p.m. ET.
